Rating: 
Summary: Honest Appraisal of Motherhood
Review: I was prompted to write a review to counter some of the negative reviews that I read about this book on this site. I bought it despite the negative reviews because it came so highly recommended by a friend. I wasn't sorry at all. This is an excellent look at the realities of motherhood for all women, but I think particularly for women who are older & have been engaged in an active professional life for some period of time. I have a number of friends who really could have benefitted from the author's insights into the adjustments to motherhood. Because of the negative reviews, I admit that I read it on the lookout for evidence that the author was biased against motherhood or for any indication that she herself didn't enjoy motherhood. I found no evidence of this at all! She's not arguing that women who had an easy time with delivery and/or enjoy breastfeeding are lying. She's simply pointing out that it is an adjustment for many women, and yet it's not necessarily discussed (which leaves many women wondering if they are normal or not). Her chapter on breastfeeding is *not* anti-breastfeeding. It is obvious that she is not a proponent of the attachment theory of parenting (Sears et al). But, for goodness sakes, just because one doesn't necessarily believe in demand feeding doesn't mean one is anti-breastfeeding! I also thoroughly enjoyed her chapters on The Juggled Life (balancing career & outside interests with motherhood) and the Superwoman chapter on gender roles that may play out in marriages after the arrival of the first baby. I highly recommend this book -- it's excellent "food for thought," whether you're considering having children, are pregnant or already have one or more children.
Rating:
Summary: Helped me after shock of new motherhood!
Review: I'm sure there are mothers out there who had a blissful pregnancy, delivery, breastfeeding experience, and LOVE every second of staying at home with their children-or working and still taking primary responsibility for the children. However, for the other 99% of us, this book lets us know that our negative feelings do not make us bad mothers, and are in fact, quite common (if not the norm). I've given this book to every one of my friends who is considering motherhood. I am not attempting to disuade them, but to let them know that if they have negative feelings about the experience of motherhood and birth, they are not bad women or mothers, as our prevailing cultural myths would have them believe.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, intellectual take on parenthood
Review: Maushart delves into a little explored topic..the downside of motherhood. Using top-notch research, she portrays the often brutal world of early motherhood. Like other books on this subject, my only complaint is, why raise these issues and provide no solutions?? This book does reader readers slightly adrift. I'm debating not having kids, and this tome did not convince me to do it!
Rating:
Summary: Mask of Motherhood is required reading.
Review: Susan Maushart got it right. She made me laugh, and cry. I sent copies to my pregnant daughter in law and my not yet pregnant daughter. This book will help you understand yourself and your mother. And remember, every person you ever saw or will see was born, someone brought them into this world through a pregnancy - WOW!!!
Rating:
Summary: Slightly depressing, but definitely worth reading
Review: Susan Maushart tells it like it is--everything from how labor KILLS to how basically impossible it is to combine a career and motherhood (that is, you can do it, but you can't do both equally well and without a lot of pain), to how a good marriage and parenthood pretty much don't go together. I'm oversimplifying what she has so painstakingly researched and written of course--the book is eloquent and thorough. Her theme throughout is not how terrible motherhood is, but what a monumental and difficult achievement it is, and how women need to not be afraid to tell it like it is, so mothers around the world can get recognition and validation for their experiences (and not feel like they are crazy). I think she opens up some terribly important arguments, issues that have been kept way too quiet. And it does alot to validate mothers who might otherwise be thinking "Am I the only one feeling this way?" For these reasons, it's definitely worth reading. As a warning, though, I found the book's tone a bit pessimistic by the time I got through the 200+ pages. I think Maushart takes it for granted that we KNOW motherhood is a joy, a meaningful experience, so she doesn't spend alot of time elaborating on the merits of motherhood. Most of the writing is, instead, on the fallouts of motherhood--the alarming rate of mental illness among new mothers, the depressing statistics of even liberated men who don't help out, etc. When there are exceptions--women who coast through labor, or men who help out equally--she makes it sound as if they are the "oddballs" (an actual word she uses in that context) and that this is not something you should realistically hope for. So especially if you're not a mom, it's easy to finish the book feeling, "God, motherhood sounds awful!" even though you know this is not her point. A more upbeat and lighthearted (and balanced) book on the joys and agonies of motherhood is the Girlfriend's Guide to Surviving Your First Year of Motherhood.
Rating: 
Summary: read only if you look at the world with rose-colored glasses
Review: The book is honest about the bad experience of some mothers, which is probably the only good thing that can be said about it. The material is presented in a very negative way, and tends to be more biased towards the bad experiences when discussing examples. It also makes it appear as if no women talk about their experience (based on the earfuls I get from moms with young children, that is simply not true). It also seems to assume that women who are pregnant (or want to be pregnant) think that everything is going to be straightforward, natural and easy. Well, there are some women out there who don't think this way - we KNOW that it can be painful, messy, problematic, both physically and mentally, even if some of us have not yet experienced it. It's not a big dark secret as this book seems to imply. This book might be useful for women who have a vague idea of what pregnancy and childbirth might be like, and those who perhaps think everything in life is easy. For everyone else, it doesn't add anything other than a feeling of depression while reading it. This is especially true for "older" moms, who supposedly will have a more difficult time of it (a better book to read would be "So Glad We Waited!" by Lois Nachamie - it's more neutral and offers practical advise). Don't waste your money on this book - check it out of the library if you absolutely have to read it.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting.....but not helpful
Review: The book was somewhat interesting, but I came away from it with such a bad feeling. The author just struck me as being so very bitter! I would hate to be her daughter and read this book. She and her partner didn't seem to find any joy in parenting at all(except as a topic to write a book about?) I realize the focus of the book is supposed to be on the negatives, but still! I also wonder if a major part of her problems weren't really about sleep depravation combined with a lack of female support. I think there are better books that tackle the subject. It's worth reading only as one of many resources on the subject of modern motherhood.
Rating:
Summary: Tells the truth, warts and all. Very funny.
Review: There is a lot of research done about issues related to motherhood, but not many of the reaearch findings get passed on to mothers. Maushart has found a way to tell about her own experiences and those of real women, and at the same time relate them to serious study of the subject. This is a very readable book and a great discussion provoker. It would be good for book clubs.
Rating:
Summary: A Provocative Read
Review: This is a book for any woman who feels as if she's been lied to in the process of becoming a mother. The author covers a litany of misleading "look good" stories told by friends of women considering motherhood, or mothers-to-be. The author sensitively acknowledges the special love between mother and child, but also acknowledges that it's still very hard work raising children--and as any parent of a teenager can tell you, it doesn't get easier as they get older. It is unfortunate that she didn't say more about difficult births and infant death because it happens far more often that anyone cares to think about. I would have given the book five stars except that in the first chapter, I felt she tread ever so closely to going overboard on the feminist agenda. I believe women are much to blame for the conspiracy of silence about the down side of motherhood. But the first chapter put me off a little and I nearly put it down for good. To potential readers I would say, it's a good read and very thought-provoking. Don't be put off by the first chapter, and continue on through the rest of the book because it gets better. Oh yes, and tell your friends about it if you dare!
Rating:
Summary: A Provocative Read
Review: This is a book for any woman who feels as if she's been lied to in the process of becoming a mother. The author covers a litany of misleading "look good" stories told by friends of women considering motherhood, or mothers-to-be. The author sensitively acknowledges the special love between mother and child, but also acknowledges that it's still very hard work raising children--and as any parent of a teenager can tell you, it doesn't get easier as they get older. It is unfortunate that she didn't say more about difficult births and infant death because it happens far more often that anyone cares to think about. I would have given the book five stars except that in the first chapter, I felt she tread ever so closely to going overboard on the feminist agenda. I believe women are much to blame for the conspiracy of silence about the down side of motherhood. But the first chapter put me off a little and I nearly put it down for good. To potential readers I would say, it's a good read and very thought-provoking. Don't be put off by the first chapter, and continue on through the rest of the book because it gets better. Oh yes, and tell your friends about it if you dare!
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